"It's not that far away, Miriel. We'll be back in a couple of minutes."
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Those staying behind in the cabin
To simplify matters, you must choose if you stay or left, once the decision is made its final, place it here or in the OOC thread...
@ those who are in the forest
After a moment of concentration, Gharkka whispers: "Be careful, my companions, I can feel evil intention from that old woman, and probably the giant one could be her slave."
'In the name of...' gasps Earnest as he sees what has happened to the young woman. He bends to check her, but it's obvious that she is quite dead. Reflexively he draws his longsword and spins around looking for any other threats.
Perception
Miriel nods her head as she watches the some of the party head off. Turning towards the cabin she opens her mouth to speak only to be cut off by a high pitched shriek from inside the cabin. Rushing to the front door of the cabin, she sees Earnest standing over the body of Rana with his sword drawn. A quick glance over the woman makes Miriel blanch almost instantly and her stomach turns over inside her as she tries not to throw up her lunch from the smell of the dead woman combined with the cabins odor. The skin and blood and muscle slouching off the woman's bone to join the detritus of the filthy floor looked almost like a mask falling off and made Miriel's already pale skin turn ivory.
"Holy Asmod, quickly cutting herself off and hoping Earnest did not catch what she was about to say, she looks back up at Earnest and inquires, "What happened to her? What happened here?
Perception roll for the scream:
Having stayed on the porch, peering into the forest with my bow drawn, I turn in surprise at the noise within the hut.
"By our Sweet Lady of Fire!" I take a few deep breaths before entering the hut to look over the corpse: "Does anyone know how she worshipped? I will give her the Rites of the Dawn, if not."
Forest:
Gharkka sees the worried expression on her companion's faces.
Well, what happened? Have you noticed something?
"What happened to her? What happened here?
'The gods only know. Some...thing...appeared and did this to her. It was covered in red slime with a spear - just appeared and then vanished again. I'm beginning to think this place is going to need more help than we can give'. He shakes his head disconsolately, obviously deeply disturbed by what he has just seen.
After a moment to regain his composure, Earnest turns to Malaswyn and mutters 'by all means, try and give her soul some peace in the afterlife'.
"It did not attack us though. Was it within her? Part of the infection? Or did it target her as a villager?"
I shake my head: "We know so little."
Then I begin collecting wood for a pyre.
Elendyr will keep the other two in sight, but will also frequently check behind the group for pursuit.
Forest:
Gharkka joins Mordecai on their way back to the cabin, her glaive ready for a fight.
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Malaswyn
Elendyr
Malaswyn ** spoiler omitted **
Elendyr ** spoiler omitted **
I say a short prayer for Sarenrae's inspiring vision and examine the ring. Once that is done I will show it to the others.
'Look at this ring she was carrying, such a strange inscription: “By the star on earth will the scarlet people have hope”'
When those in the forest return I show them the ring as well, and tell everyone: "The beast was, I think, a Babau: a murderous demon. I cannot tell how it entered this world."
Elendyr hustles after Gharkka and Mordecai. On catching up, he says quietly, "They knew we were there--the old woman watched as you two started back to the cabin, smiled, and then they walked off into the forest. Many hands are stirring this pot, it seems. We must ask Rana if she knows either the old woman or the man."
To Elendyr: She turned and smiled, you say? Then I fear that something terrible is happening back in the cabin. We should hurry.
Then Gharkka starts running in the forest, anxious to reach the cabin. When she is received by Malaswyn, and learns about the sad end of Rana, her heart is filled with sorrow.
Poor woman is her only comment.
Then asks Elendyr to give the others a full report of what they discovered in the forest.
After Earnest gives his explanation and Malaswyn responds, Miriel's eyes turn venomous, hinting at something deeper, as she glares about the cabin. Her fingers contort through a series of shapes as she steps to one of the corners of the room, before she holds them out in front of her in a triangle with her index fingers and thumbs touching.
Her voice resounds slightly as she pushes the magic stored in her mind forward, "Otkriti Magijski." An invisible wave of energy passes over the entire cabin in a cone emanating from her connected fingers.
After nearly a minute spent concentrating her eyes refocus and she looks around to find the others have returned. Stepping out she listens in to see how far the conversation has gotten so far.
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Mordecai willingly shares what they saw, and listens in turn to what happened.
Mordecai's fingers dance and crackle with electricity. Twice he starts off toward the woods and then turns back.
We are expected. We are being toyed with and now we have this dwindling light to make camp in. I think we should hurry to the spot Gharkka found and make it as secure as we can.
"A demon. A...demon."
Elendyr shakes his head in incredulity. "This is madness. We hear tales of curses, burned chapels and children, cannibalism. And now--I'm no priest, but it doesn't take one to know how demons get on with the cult of Asmodeus. This is beyond the ken of a simple investigator...."
He shudders once, then pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a deep breath. Exhaling, he seems to relax, and continues in a calmer voice.
"All right. Rana, may Pharasma judge her kindly, can't help us any more. This ring...the latter strophe is too evocative of the name of the village to be coincidence. Miriel, Malaswn, do either of you recognize the terms 'star on earth' and 'scarlet people?' Anything you can remember might be the key to finding our way out of this dark maze.
"Gharkka, let's get to the clearing. I've got some rope if you want to set up some tripwires around it, and we can pile up brush as barricades. Though if that demon comes against us...well. Nothing to be done for it.
"Wait. Before we leave the cabin, I'd like to do a quick search, just to see if there's anything in there we might be able to use."
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Miriel
Elendyr
Miriel shakes her head as she answers Elendyr, "I am afraid I cannot remember anything about a star on earth or a scarlet people right now. I would need some time to do research."
Looking back up towards the sky, Miriel gives a disdainful sigh, "And time is not a luxury we have at the moment. If we are truly watched as Mordecai asserts, then it does us no good to stay around this cabin tonight. It would be best if we found a place to rest quickly, the day wears on and night quickly approaches."
Miriel adjusts the pack strapped to her shoulders, she looks behind her at the cabin one last time, speaking softly but not quietly "May you be delivered from chaos into the order of eternity."
"This way, I will guide you to the clearing.says Gharkka when the pyre is set on fire
"Once there, we will try to make the spot a little more defendable.
"We will wake early and make the pyre. Dawn is the proper time for such rites."
I cover the corpse and seal the hut as best I can against predators, piling the collected wood in the doorway.
"Now, Gharkka, take us to this campsite."
When ready to leave, Gharkka leads you to the clearing.
As he searches the cabin, Elendyr is muttering under his breath. "Star on earth...star on earth...why does that sound familiar? Ah, well. It'll come to me." He still seems distracted as he completes the fruitless search. Then he stops short. "By the Lady of Graves, I think I have it! It was a chance conversation in a bar, but I heard an old story about this place--that the town was founded where a star fell, but the storyteller didn't know exactly what had become of the star. Said *she'd* heard it never left the area.
"I think we would have heard of it if this star had properties akin to the one in Absalom. Do any of you know what sorts of things fallen stars are reputed to be capable of?"
As he searches the cabin, Elendyr is muttering under his breath. "Star on earth...star on earth...why does that sound familiar? Ah, well. It'll come to me." He still seems distracted as he completes the fruitless search. Then he stops short. "By the Lady of Graves, I think I have it! It was a chance conversation in a bar, but I heard an old story about this place--that the town was founded where a star fell, but the storyteller didn't know exactly what had become of the star. Said *she'd* heard it never left the area.
"I think we would have heard of it if this star had properties akin to the one in Absalom. Do any of you know what sorts of things fallen stars are reputed to be capable of?"
"I think that some special metals come from stars, maybe... I've remembered who the Scarlet People are: it's an old name for Asmodeus worshipers. Maybe it came from the temple there?"
As the group comes up on the small clearing, Miriel gives out an exhausted groan and slithers the backpack straps off her shoulders, gently lowering the pack to the soft ground.
"This day has been stressful. What I would give for a hot bath and some decent food."
Her weary body settles down on the cold earth for a few moments and she reaches into her pack with an open hand, quickly pulling out one of her oldest friends. A small scorpion that fits in the palm of her hand with it's stinger tail curled over in a sign of friendship. Miriel smiles down at the tiny arachnid before lifting her hand up to her shoulder and letting the scorpion ride on her shoulder.
Looking up at Malswyn, she gives a faint smile, "Scarlet people huh? It is strangely fitting."
There is plenty of work to do before resting, thinks Gharkka looking at Miriel.
"Mordecai, will you help me collecting some wood? We need it for a campfire, and I want to prepare small stack all around the perimeter of the camp, in case we need to swiftly light up this place"
Then she starts collecting wood, preparing said stacks, and looking for anything that could help in organizing the defense of the camp.
I make a short prayer to Sarenrae and join in the campsite chores: "I would like to take the last watch, so that I can prepare the pyre and enjoy the dawn, my Lady's light."
"Can we put a tripline at the top of the bank, and stakes below? I can sharpen some branches if we have time."
'I'll give you a hand with that, Elendyr' said Earnest. The investigator appeared to still be a little shaky after seeing Rana's death, and offering to help was as much to take his mind off that, as an actual need to do something useful.
Disable Device
I will do my watch turn in the darkest hours of night, when my orcish lineage will prove quite useful.
Miriel turns her head with a start at Mordecai's shouted order, wondering how a bug would have gotten past Triskal's guard on her shoulder. When she sees it is just Triskal still she turns back to Mordecai and gives a soft laugh before standing up casually and walking over to Mordecai.
"Do not be alarmed, it is merely a friend. His name is Triskal, he wont hurt me." To prove it, Miriel reaches up and takes hold of Triskal in the palm of her hand again.
"See? So, how can I help?"
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I... Mordecai stumbles backward in both body and tongue. Two steps back and then he stops as Miriel approaches. I am sorry, I didn't... I mean in the light... That is to say, or what I meant to say is... Well, will he hurt me? As he asks the last he reaches out slowly to the scorpion in the same way he would reach out to a puppy he did not know.
Miriel allows a wicked grin to settle over her face as Mordecai reaches out toward Triskal. At the last moment she pulls her hand away, letting a more neutral expression settle over her face. "Ha! Do you always reach out towards dangerous insects? I am afraid I cannot let you touch him, he doesn't like that, but I promise he only hurts the people I tell him to."
Letting the scorpion rest back on her shoulder, Miriel gives another look over the clearing as the others begin to setup camp and work out defenses.
"So, tell me Mordecai, I saw lightning crackle along your hands at the hut, where did you learn to do that?"